Student in Coma After Being Hit by Truck While Exiting School Bus

BRYANTOWN, Md. — A student here was seriously injured after being hit by a truck while crossing the street, having just exited her school bus on Tuesday afternoon, police said, and is now in a coma.

At 3:45 p.m., a Charles County Public Schools bus was stopped in the northbound lane of the roadway, dropping off a 7-year-old girl, according to a news release from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office. Witnesses said that the bus had activated its flashing red lights and stop arm. The girl safely crossed in front of the bus and was crossing the southbound lanes when she was struck by a Ford F-250 that was operated by a 35-year-old woman.

The driver of the truck remained on the scene and the girl was flown to Children’s Hospital with critical injuries, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The crash is under investigation and charges are pending.

ABC7 reported on Wednesday that the girl, whom the news source identified as Skyla Shirriel, was put into a medically-induced coma on Tuesday evening. She is expected to survive, according to the news source.